Press release
Parliament backs EU directive on use of
Passenger Name Records (PNR)
Plenary sessions [14-04-2016 - 12:25]
The new directive regulating the use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data in the
EU for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences
and serious crime was approved by Parliament on Thursday. It will oblige airlines to
hand national authorities passengers' data for all flights from third countries to the
EU and vice versa.
"We have adopted an important new tool for fighting terrorists and traffickers. By
collecting, sharing and analysing PNR information our intelligence agencies can detect
patterns of suspicious behaviour to be followed up. PNR is not a silver bullet, but countries
that have national PNR systems have shown time and again that it is highly effective”, said
Parliament's rapporteur for the proposal, Timothy Kirkhope (ECR, UK).
“There were understandable concerns about the collection and storage or people's data,
but I believe that the directive puts in place data safeguards, as well as proving that the
law is proportionate to the risks we face. EU governments must now get on with
implementing this agreement", Mr Kirkhope added.
The text was approved by 461 votes to 179, with 9 abstentions.
Member states will have to set up "Passenger Information Units" (PIUs) to manage the
PNR data collected by air carriers. This information will have to be retained for a period of
five years, but after six months, the data will be “masked out”, i.e., stripped of the
elements, such as name, address and contact details that may lead to the identification of
individuals. PIUs will be responsible for collecting, storing and processing PNR data, for
transferring them to the competent authorities and for exchanging them with the PIUs of
other member states and with Europol. The directive states that such transfers shall only
be made “on a case-by-case basis” and exclusively for the specific purposes of
“preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting terrorist offences or serious crime”.
The directive is to apply to “extra-EU flights”, but member states could also extend it to
“intra-EU” ones (i.e. from an EU country to one or more other EU countries), provided that
they notify the EU Commission. EU countries may also choose to collect and process PNR
data from travel agencies and tour operators (non-carrier economic operators), since they
also manage flight bookings.
Data protection safeguards
• National PIUs will have to appoint a data protection officer responsible for
monitoring the processing of PNR data and implementing the related
safeguards.
• Access to the full PNR data set, which enables users to immediately identify the
data subject, should be granted only under very strict and limited conditions after
the initial retention period.
• All processing of PNR data should be logged or documented.
• Explicit prohibition of processing personal data revealing a person´s race or
ethnic origin, political opinions, religion or philosophical beliefs, trade union
membership, health, sexual life or sexual orientation.
Review clause
EN
Press Service
Directorate for the Media
Director - Spokesperson : Jaume DUCH GUILLOT
Reference No:20160407IPR21775
Press switchboard number (32-2) 28 33000
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Press release
The EU Commission will have to carry out a revision of the EU PNR directive two years
after its transposition into national laws. It must pay special attention to compliance with
personal data protection standards, the necessity and proportionality of collecting and
processing PNR data for each of the stated purposes, the length of the data retention
period, and also "the effectiveness of the sharing of data between the member states".
Next steps
Following Parliament´s approval, the proposal needs now to be formally approved by the
Council. Once published in the EU Official Journal of the EU, member states will have two
years to transpose it into their national laws.
Further information
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Adopted text will be available here (click on 14.05.2016)
: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/texts-adopted.html
Video recording of debate (click on 13.04.2016)
: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/plenary/search-by-date
Statement by EP President Martin Schulz welcoming the results of the votes on PNR and protection of
personal data: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thepresident/en/press/press_release_speeches/press_release/press_release-2016/press_release-2016april/html/martin-schulz-welcomes-the-results-of-the-votes-on-pnr-and-protection-of-personal-data
EU Passenger Name Record (PNR): Civil Liberties Committee backs EP/Council deal (10.12.2015)
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: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=IMPRESS&reference=20151207IPR06435&language=EN&format=XML
Video of the press conference (click on 13.04.2016)
: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/other-events/video?event=20160413-1400-SPECIAL-UNKN
EbS+ (13.04.2016) info for colleagues:
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: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?sitelang=en&page=3&institution=0&date=04/13/2016
Audiovisual material for professionals
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: http://audiovisual.europarl.europa.eu/default.aspx
EP Research Service: Completing the adoption of an EU PNR Directive
: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA%282016%29580886
Background note – EU PNR proposal: an overview
: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20150123BKG12902/EU-Passenger-Name-Record(PNR)-proposal-an-overview
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Procedure file
:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2011%2f0023%28CO
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Political groups
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Press release by the EPP group: http://www.eppgroup.eu/press-release/EU-PNR%3A-victory-for-thesecurity-of-EU-citizens
News pages of the S&D group: http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom
Press release by the ECR group: http://ecrgroup.eu/news/liberal-group-again-threatens-to-derailpassenger-name-records/
News pages of the ALDE group: http://www.alde.eu/press/press-and-release-news/
Press release by the GUE/NGL group: http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/gue-ngl-news/better-informationsharing-between-national-authorities-not-pnr-will-help-t
News pages of the Greens/EFA group: http://www.greens-efa.eu/press/70-press-releases.html
News pages of the EFDD group: http://www.efdgroup.eu/newsroom/press-releases
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Press release
Contact
Estefania NARRILLOS
BXL: (+32) 2 28 31324
STR: (+33) 3 881 73661
PORT: (+32) 498 98 39 85
EMAIL: libe-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_Justice
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